Centering Capitalism in Music History Pedagogy

Abstract

The past several years have seen increased calls to center issues of race, gender, and colonialization in music history pedagogy. This article builds on such calls by placing capitalism at the center of music history in the United States. Adopting an intersectional frame can appear daunting. I show, however, that a Marxist approach to colonialism provides a strong framework that can focus historical cases in useful ways. I draw on my experiences teaching Chicago’s musical histories through Marx’s notion of “primitive accumulation,” which places processes of dispossession and disciplining of workers at the heart of major historical changes. I update Marx’s original argument with more recent scholarship by Beverly Skeggs, Sylvia Federici, and Vanessa Wills to demonstrate how accumulation informs subjectivity, in part through racist, sexist, and classist constructions. I connect Marxist theory with the musical histories of Chicago through course readings and assignments. I also reflect on how this approach lays the groundwork for critical inquiry and hope. In sum, I contribute to the drive toward naming and critiquing issues of power, exploitation, and resilience in music within a capitalist hegemony.